Automatic train-pipe coupling.



J. 0. COBB.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION HLED JULY31. 1915.

5 I i 0 7 22 if .5 3 M f 7 ZZT M by v Attorneys JOHN OLLEN COBB,

OF WEST, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

Application filed July a1, 1915. Seria1 No. 42,012.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN OLLnN COBB, a citizen of the United States, residing at West, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Automatic Train-PipeCoupling, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this applicationisa coupler adapted to be employed for operatively uniting the fluid pressure pipes of a pair of railway vehicles, when the vehicles are coupled up.

The invention aims to improve the construction of the main pipe through the instrumentality of. which the coupling operation is immediately effected, and to provide novel means whereby the pipe is mounted in such a way as to have the necessary movements. y I

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains. i

With the above and other objects in vi'e which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 shows in bottom plan, a pair of railway vehicles equipped with couplers forming the subject matter of this application; Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical section wherein the coupling mechanism forming the subject matter of this application appears for the most part in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows the coupler in end elevation.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a car carrying a beam 2 movable transversely in a socket 3 on the car and pivoted at 3 to the car. Fixed to and depending from the beam 2 is a bracket 4, the rear wall 5 of which is provided with an opening 6. Fixed to and depending from the beam 2 is a U-shaped hanger 7.

The numeral 8 denotes a support in the form of a rod, the support passing through the hanger 7 and through the opening 6 in the rear wall 5 of the bracket 4.

The numeral 9 denotes an abutment located within the contour of the hanger 7 and provided at its corners with extensions 15 engaging the edges of the hanger, as clearly shown in Fig. 3,the construction being such that the abutment 9, although free to reciprocate vertically in the hanger, cannot reciprocate horizontally therein and be detached therefrom. A helical compression spring 10 forms an operative connection between the abutment 9 and the lower portion of the hanger 7, and preferably is secured to these elements.

The numeral 11 indicates a conduit in the form of a cross pipe having ears 12 united by a pivot element 14: with the forward end of the support 8. A helical compression spring 16 surrounds a portion of the support 8, one end of the spring abutting against the ears 12, and the other end of the spring abutting against the forward edges of the hanger 7. The rear end of the support 8 is provided with a stop 17 which coacts with the rear wall 5 of the bracket 4, to limit the forward movement of the support 8 under the actionof the spring 16. The cross pipe 11 includes a forwardly presented arm 18. One end of the cross pipe 11 opens into and is secured to a cup 19 having a rearwardly extended stem 20. The forward end of the cup 19 is provided with a flange 21 on which is threaded a head 22 having a tapered bore 23 defining a shoulder 24:. Ametallic washer 25 abuts against the forward end of the cup 19, the flange 26 of a gasket 27 being bound between the washer 25 and the shoulder 24 on the head 22.

The numeral 28 designates a main fluid conveying pipe carried by the car 1, the forward end of the pipe 28 being united with the stem 20 of the cup 19 through the medium of a flexible pipe section 29. Interposed in the pipe 28 is a valve 30 of any desired form and actuated in any suitable manner. If desired, a rod 31 may be pivotally assembled with the stem of the valve 30, the rod 31 being operatively connected with a crank arm 32 constituting a part of a rock shaft 33, journaled for rotation in bearings 34 on the end of the car.

vVhen a pair of cars equipped with the couplers forming the subject matter of this application are brought together, the arm 18 of the coupler of one car being guided by the tapered bore 23 of the head 22 of the coupler on the other car, will cooperate with the gasket 27 in a manner which will be obvious when Fig. 1 is noted. Owing to the presence of the spring 16, the necessary movement in a longitudinal direction will be permitted, and the couplers on the adjacent cars will at all times be maintained in'engagement. It is to be observed that the forward end of the spring 16 abuts against the cars 12 of the pipe 11 in such a manner as to hold the pipe 11 normally at right angles to the support 8. The spring 10 which is carried by the hanger 7 permits the necessary vertical movel'nent of the support 8 and parts carried thereby, the abutment 9 coacting with the hanger 7 to prevent undue lateral movement of the support 8.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a support; means for mounting the support for longitudinal reciprocation; a conduit disposed transversely of the support and pivoted thereto, the conduit having forwardly presented coupling elements; and a compression spring surrounding the supportand abutting against the conduit, the spring constituting at once a means for limiting the rearward movement of the support and the conduit and a means for maintaining the conduit disposed transversely of the support.

2. In a device of the class described, a car; a hanger carried by the car; a support mounted to move longitudinally and transversely in the hanger; a spring interposed between the hanger and the support; a conduit carried by the forward end of the support; a spring interposed between the conduit and the hanger; and means for limiting the forward movement of the support under the action 'of the last specified spring.

3. In a device of the class described, a car; a hanger carried thereby; a support mounted to reciprocate longitudinally and to move transversely in the hanger; a spring interposed between the hanger and the support; a conduit pivoted to the forward end of the support and comprising forwardly presented coupling elements; a spring interposed between the hanger and the conduit; and means for limiting the forward movement of'the support under the action of the last specified spring.

1. In a device of the class described, a support; means for movably mounting the support; a pipe pivoted intermediate its ends to the support, one end of the pipe being forwardly presented; a cup connected. with the other end of the pipe; a source of fluid pres sure supply for the cup; a gasket carried by the end of the cup; and a tubular head mounted on the cup and binding upon the gasket.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed by signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN OLLEN COBB.

S. D. CARROLL. V

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. i 

